Deadline has reported that actor Terry O’Quinn, best known for his role as John Locke on Lost, has been cast in Hulu’s upcoming series Castle Rock. The series is inspired by the fictional Maine town of Castle Rock that Stephen King has included in many of his novels and short stories.
J.J. Abrams is executive producer of the series, making this project a reunion of sorts between Abrams and O’Quinn, as the two also worked together on Lost. It will also be Abrams’ second time bringing King’s material to a Hulu series, as he also produced the miniseries 11/22/63. An eerie teaser trailer was released back in February, but no footage from the series has been seen.
While there has been a sudden influx of King adaptations, this project is unique in that it will take some material (including certain characters and plotlines) from King’s work but will be completely original otherwise. Castle Rock will be an anthology series that has all of its episodes take place inside the town itself. The small Maine town has been featured in such stories as Cujo, Needful Things, and many others.
O’Quinn has been cast play Dale Lacy, a character who is considered a pillar of the community of Castle Rock. O’Quinn will join an already impressive cast which includes André Holland, Sissy Spacek, Scott Glenn, Bill Skarsgård, Melanie Lynskey, and Jane Levy. Some have speculated that Pennywise the Clown might drop in with an appearance on Castle Rock since Bill Skarsgård plays the freakish monster in the upcoming movie adaptation of IT.
King has that while he won’t write for the show, he has been in talks with J.J. Abrams, and the two have bounced ideas off of each other for the series. King said in one interview, “We’ve talked about a couple of interesting ideas, and I know at least one of the stories that has a Castle Rock background will figure in the TV series. It’s a little like sending your kids off to college: Here’s what I’ve got for you, I’ve raised you right, hopefully you’ll go off and you won’t get into trouble. Sometimes they do anyway!”
No release date has been set for Castle Rock as of yet.